Indigenous Design Camp Empowers Next Generation of Architects

University of Minnesota’s Jessica Garcia Fritz of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe shares how the first-of-its-kind program introduces Indigenous youth to architecture and design

Photos courtesy of Jessica Garcia Fritz  

Indigenous Design Camp, a weeklong day camp that took place across the Twin Cities metro late July and early August, represents a groundbreaking effort to engage Indigenous youth in the world of architecture.

Made possible by a group of professionals from DSGW Architecture, Full Circle Indigenous Planning + Design, Minnesota Architectural Foundation, SALA Architects, Cuningham, First American Design Studio, Dunwoody College of Technology, and the University of Minnesota College of Design, the five-day camp introduced a small group of teenage students, aged 14-18, to both traditional and Indigenous architectural principles.

The initiative, supported by both the Minnesota Architecture Foundation and the Minnesota chapter’s American Institute of Architects (AIA), was a result of united efforts between Mike Laverdure and Sam Olbekson, both licensed Indigenous architects, who had long envisioned such an event to inspire the next generation of architecture pros—specifically targeting Native American youth.

Jessica Garcia Fritz, a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, also brought her expertise in architectural pedagogy and curriculum development to the camp. “My role was how to pace it and how to bring forth a curriculum that would fit within a week that was geared toward high school and middle school students,” says Garcia Fritz, who also serves as Design Justice liaison for architecture in the College of Design, is an affiliate faculty member for the American Indian Studies program, and is co-director of LAB-OR, a local design practice.

The Indigenous Design Camp was built on the idea that architecture can—and should—be a vehicle for Indigenous representation and cultural preservation. It aimed to combine technical design skills with Indigenous philosophies about space and community, presenting students with the possibilities that exist within the profession. As Garcia Fritz explained, this was an opportunity for the teens to see themselves reflected in a field where Indigenous voices have historically been underrepresented. “I think there’s this question about representation and why we need to have more people representing from different minorities, ethnicities, races. … I think it’s because we need a plurality of ideas.”

The camp curriculum, which centered on individualized instruction and meaningful hands-on experiences, introduced students to both standard and Indigenous design principles. One of the primary goals was to emphasize the spatial concepts embedded in Indigenous traditions, such as the centering of community spaces around a campfire or ceremonial site. This approach demonstrated the deep connection between cultural practices and architectural design, allowing students to explore how Indigenous knowledge systems can inform modern architectural solutions. “We were trying to introduce them to not only design principles that we typically teach in architecture school but also Indigenous design principles,” Garcia Fritz says. “There are some really specific spatial principles that we looked at and certain alignments.”

Students were also exposed to the technical aspects of architecture, focusing on practical skills such as sketching, physical modeling, and digital fabrication. Each participant started by designing a personal sleep space in an ongoing project called “At Home in the Homelands,” which they later integrated with others’ designs to form a larger collective model. This gradual buildup of individual ideas into a community structure was both a reflection of architectural principles and representation of Indigenous communal values.

After learning how to physically model certain materials, students visited the University of Minnesota to learn about digital fabrication tools, further expanding their understanding of how traditional design can merge with cutting-edge technology. Tours of local architectural firms and Indigenous-led projects, such as the Red Lake Nation College and the American Indian Center (one of Olbekson’s works), offered students firsthand insight into how Indigenous perspectives can inform architectural practice.

Additionally, students attended lectures and presentations from leading figures in Indigenous architecture. Notable speakers included Tammy Eagle Bull, the first Native American woman in the U.S. to be licensed as an architect, who delivered a talk on “Indigenous Architecture,” and Patrick Stewart (Sim’oogit Saa-Bax), who spoke about “Indigenous Landscape and Site.” Garcia Fritz provided a session on “Design Concepts,” while Laverdure and Olbekson led discussions on design careers and career paths.

In keeping with the camp’s theme of cultural immersion, meals were provided by Indigenous chefs. “The Indigenous Food Lab brought food for us,” Garcia Fritz says. “We also had Wiisinig, which is an Ojibwe food lab; they brought food as well.”

For many of the students, Indigenous Design Camp was their first exposure to architecture as a career. By introducing Indigenous youth to architecture, the camp hopes to nurture a new generation of architects who will bring fresh perspectives and culturally informed solutions to the field. “I think a lot of the campers were like, ‘I didn’t know that architecture was even an option,’” says Garcia Fritz. “Mike, Sam, and I were talking about how [architecture] wasn’t really presented to us as an option for what we could do—just based on where we were grew up. By the end, … there was a rhetorical confidence or a way of being able to not only talk about the work but also to show it, because [students] were able to materialize ideas and talk about contributions.”

Following the success of the first event, the organizers are already planning future iterations. There is interest in expanding the camp to other Indigenous communities and potentially transforming it into an overnight program that would allow students to immerse themselves more fully in the experience. The long-term goal is to create a sustainable model for Indigenous architectural education that helps pave the way for a more inclusive and representative future in architecture.

“We were really happy with the way it came out,” says Garcia Fritz, recalling the positive feedback from students and parents at the camp’s conclusion. “I think it’s just like with any other effort and endeavor—how can this be something that we can sustain over time?”

No posts to display